The shutdown started six years ago

Six years ago today is a day I'll never forget.  I spent the day with high school seniors, and even had my own sweet girls in class.  We knew the governor was holding a press conference in the afternoon, and we all strongly suspected that the schools were going to be shut down.  I remember some of the seniors were worried about graduation, and I vividly remember assuring them that this wouldn't impact graduation as it was over two whole months away.  Oh boy, was I ever wrong!

When the announcement was made that evening (also a Thursday), it included the caveat that schools could remain open for the next day and the following Monday in order to get things arranged.  Our school originally planned to be open the next day, but the county health department shut us down because they were already concerned an exposure had occurred.  I remember sitting on the couch that evening, just mindlessly playing games and scrolling on my computer because all of a sudden I literally had just about nothing to do.  There would be no church, no work, no baseball for Andrew...almost nothing to occupy my time.  The beginning is so very vivid.

And there were some really hard times, and I know I'll never completely understand how things impacted my kids, and honestly, most of their generation.  I know the pandemic hastened the decline of my father-in-law, and I regret that family gatherings had to end and were never revived.  At the same time, I loved the amount of time the four of us had together.  Those few months held some fear, but they also held a lot of love and togetherness, and I'll cherish those memories.

Here we are six years later.  So much has changed for our family in the last six years, but I am so grateful for so many of the changes.  I love my job.  My kids are in healthy and loving relationships and living on their own.  I am grateful for the life Andrew and I are living. And this weekend we get to hang out with our good friends.  We are so incredibly blessed!